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Boston Bruins Prospect Pipeline: Future Looks Good

Boston Bruins, Fabian Lysell (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Boston Bruins, Fabian Lysell (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Boston Bruins are notorious for not having any picks to make because the front office trades them away at the deadline to get a player that will unfortunately end in the same letdown as the last. Don Sweeney is starting to build his team through the draft and some early returns show a promising future

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CLEVELAND, OH FEBRUARY 18: Mason Lohrei #6 of the Ohio State Buckeyes battles for the puck against Rutger McGroarty #2 of the Michigan Wolverines during the first period of the Faceoff on the Lake NCAA ice hockey game at FirstEnergy Stadium on February 18, 2023 in Cleveland, OH. Ohio State beat Michigan with a final score of 4-2. (Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH FEBRUARY 18: Mason Lohrei #6 of the Ohio State Buckeyes battles for the puck against Rutger McGroarty #2 of the Michigan Wolverines during the first period of the Faceoff on the Lake NCAA ice hockey game at FirstEnergy Stadium on February 18, 2023 in Cleveland, OH. Ohio State beat Michigan with a final score of 4-2. (Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images)

The prospect the furthest out is probably Mason Lohrei from Ohio State. He is fourth on his team in points with 24 and leads all defensemen on the team. Lohrei could be a good player on the blue line in the future for Boston. At 6’4″ he has good puck-handling ability and has a strong snap to his wrist shot. But he makes most of his impact as a passer with 22 assists this season. Take a look at this one from his game against Michigan.

Next would be P-Bruins Center, John Beecher. Beecher is having a bit of a slow season. He has played 39 games and has 12 points to show for it. Beecher is a two-way player who plays along the board well which helps keep the puck possession alive similar to what we see out of the Bruins team now. They keep up the pressure and more often than not have found ways to turn the puck over and keep the puck in the offensive zone. Although Beecher is lacking in puck skills, he has a killer shot and uses his shot to open up scoring chances. Might not be a world-breaker but could definitely find himself playing for the Bruins in the NHL.

Ohio State forward Georgii Merkulov (10) gathers the puck and looks to pass during practice at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio on January 5, 2022.Ceb Osu Mhck Kwr 02
Ohio State forward Georgii Merkulov (10) gathers the puck and looks to pass during practice at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio on January 5, 2022.Ceb Osu Mhck Kwr 02

Since we have a Buckeye we should bring up a former Buckeye. Gerogii Merkulov is having a great season in Providence. Merkulov has great vision and is a good passer. It would not be surprising if he has a 50-point season with the right linemates. Merkulov has shown over his first full season that he can play in the pros the issue would be that he has to throw his weight around at the top level and he could stand to gain some muscle so that he can hit with the big boys in the NHL. Merkulov has 39 points in 46 games. Merkulov has 6 power-play goals this year and could help Boston’s power-play which has a tendency to lose its punch.

Finally, we have what fans are anointing as the future of the center position. Fabian Lysell. Lysell, a rookie has had quite the impact on the Providence Bruins after only spending one year in juniors with the Vancouver Giants (hello Milan Lucic). Lysell has 27 points in 34 games played this season. Although he had a tough World Juniors performance, he has picked up where he left off in the AHL. Lysell could work on his defensive game a little but he projects to be a good offensive forward.

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